In My Life
by LadyChris
Summary: E, N, C, V : Ezra turns to Nathan when he finds himself on the wrong end of a blackmail scheme.


Title: In My Life

Author: LadyChris

E-mail: LadyChrisFic@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: The main characters in this story do not belong to me. I am not profiting off this story. Don't bother suing, I have no money.

Ratings: PG 13 for language and violence

Warnings: This story takes place after the episode "Penance". There aren't really too many spoilers for the other episodes, but there are references and insinuations. This story is also a sequel to my first two fanfics "Time in a Bottle" and "Uninvited". If you have not read those two stories, you may want to at least skim the main story line. Both can be found at the M7 Fanfic Archive.

Author's Note: Since Ezra and Nathan were woefully neglected in my first two pieces of fanfic, I decided to bring them front and center for this story. Not to worry though, the Chris-Vin angst-a-thon continues, but this time Mary gets the owie. Josiah plays a larger role than usual. Buck and J.D. aren't as prominant, but they do have key roles in the big action scenes. I also think 

that one of the Buck scenes and one of the J.D. scenes in this story will expand into the main plot for my next story. 

Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames will be ignored.

Archive: Yes, please. I will e-mail the story as an attachment separately.

In My Life

LadyChris

Part 1

*Nathan's Clinic*

"Is it over?" Judge Travis peered over Nathan's shoulder at the man lying on the sickbed.

"It's over." Nathan's voice caught on his words, tears streaming down his face while he clutched the hand of the man whose spirit had just passed. "I just can't seem to let go."

"Take your time, Nathan, no one will disturb you." Slowly Judge Travis leaned over Nathan and closed the eyes of Nathan's father, a man he had convicted of murder and sentenced to hang not two months ago. The judge never did get around to announcing the date of the execution, so Obediah Jackson spent his last days living with his son. 

"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." Josiah reached down, gripped Nathan's shoulder and whispered, "I'll tell the others and start making the funeral arrangements."

Nathan looked over his shoulder with gratitude and gripped Josiah's hand with his own free hand. "Thanks, Josiah." More emotion passed between these two men in that simple expression of thanks than all the words in the English language could express. Josiah and Judge Travis left Nathan with his father. 

After the door shut, Nathan turned back to the bed and addressed his father. "Daddy, I know we've talked a lot over the past two months, but now that you're gone, I want to tell you and God above how grateful I am that we were given this time together. I never realized just how much of a void there was in my life until I saw you again. I know that you told me how proud you are of me, but I promise that I will do more. Remember Rain, the woman who stayed with us for a little bit? Well, I'm goin' to marry her. I don't know when I decided this or when it will happen, but I want you to not just be proud of me, but of my children. I wanna be able to tell them of our family history, tell them that we need to continue to fight for our freedom. And. . .and I want them to know exactly what you sacrificed to give me a chance for a better life."

Wiping tears away from his eyes, Nathan gave into his sorrow and laid his head down on his father's arm and wept.

***************************

"Mornin' Mrs. Potter. How are ya today?" 

Mrs. Potter looked up from her needlepoint to see a very subdued Buck Wilmington enter her store.

"Good morning to you, Mr. Wilmington. I'm doing quite well this morning. What can I do for you?"

"Well, it seems I'm in need of a new bandanna. Have you gotten any new ones in recently?"

Mrs. Potter gave Mr. Wilmington a mildly reproachful look. "Honestly, Mr. Wilmington, this is the third bandanna you've bought in the past two months. I don't think that there's enough cloth in the whole country to keep you in bandannas."

Buck gave Mrs. Potter his best mock hurt-little boy look. "But Mrs. Potter, it ain't my fault my friends keep bleedin' all over 'em. If Chris and the others would just stay out of trouble, I wouldn't have to use my bandannas as bandages all the time!" 

Mrs. Potter grinned slightly. She herself spent a few hours sitting with the one of the seven or the other as they recuperated from their various injuries. Most recently she helped Mary Travis cook meals for Mr. Larabee who had been shot in the stomach while trying to arrest a group of cattle rustlers. Mary had been quite beside herself when she found out about the extent of Mr. Larabee's wounds. Mrs. Potter helped her focus on cooking for Mr. Larabee, so she wouldn't worry herself to death and frighten her son, Billy. Mrs. Potter could certainly sympathize with the younger widow, not just as a widow herself, but as a woman who had also set her cap for one of the seven.

"Well, I haven't had a chance to make new ones. I only have two left, which doesn't give you a whole lot of choice in colors. Can you wait a day or two?" Mrs. Potter removed the two bandannas from rack at the end of the counter and placed them before Buck.

"'Fraid not, ma'am. I don't know if you heard yet, but Obediah Jackson died a few hours ago and the funeral is this afternoon. I ain't one for wearin' fancy clothes, but I figured the least I could do is wear a clean bandanna." Buck picked up the two bandannas. One was black and the other deep blue. 

"I don't know Mrs. Potter. Which color would you choose?"

A female voice chimed in from behind Buck. "The blue one. Black is Mr. Larabee's color, but the blue one will match your eyes."

Buck whirled around to see Rain standing behind him. "Rain! When did you get to town, girl? Nathan will be spittin' needles if he finds out you traveled all the way from the Seminole village again without an escort." Buck gave Rain a friendly, gentle hug.

"Don't worry about me, Mr. Wilmington. I hid in the brush by the side of the trail until the stage coach passed by. Then I followed the stage coach as it traveled into town." Rain nodded to the stage coach across the street.

"So you didn't start out with an escort! I knew it! You, girl, are gonna be in a heap of trouble when Nathan finds out." 

"Who said Nathan was going to find out?" Rain grinned mischievously at Buck.

"Oh good Lord. . .and they wonder why I don't get me a wife! You women are just to devious for me!" Buck laughed out loud as he said it. "All right, the blue one it is. How much do I owe you Mrs. Potter?" Buck paid for his bandanna and then offered his arm to Rain as they walked outside. "Now, Rain, you obviously haven't heard yet, but Nathan's father passed away this morning."

"Oh, no," Rain looked hurt. "You should have told me right away. I have to find Nathan." 

"I'm sorry, Rain. It just happened a little while ago. He's been sick for awhile, but he really took a turn for the worse day before yesterday and it was just a matter of time after that."

"Nathan had sent word to my people that his father was failing fast. I left as soon as I received the message, but it is too late. Where is Nathan now?" 

"Last I heard, he was in his room with. . .with his father. I think he's still there, ya know, gettin' the body ready to be buried. Maybe you shouldn't go just yet." But Rain ignored Buck and started across the street towards Nathan's clinic.

*************************

*The Saloon*

"Call." Ezra calmly observed the cards laid out on the poker table. No surprises there. "I believe you just paid for the down payment on my new saloon, Mr. Larabee."

"Shut up, Ezra," the man in the short black jacket growled as he shoved the pot in the center of the table towards the man in the red blazer.

Ezra grinned and began to shuffle the cards again. One week out of Nathan's sickroom, Chris still couldn't stand for long periods of time and liquor was strictly off limits. Surprising just about everyone, Chris obeyed Nathan's edicts. He stayed seated most of the time in the saloon playing cards with Ezra and not drinking anything stronger than coffee. Once J.D. offered Chris a glass of milk, but Chris glared at him and said, "J.D., don't you ever offer me milk again." J.D. just laughed.

With Chris off his feet and Nathan and Josiah wrapped up in caring for Obediah in his last days, patrolling the town and keeping guard over the captured rustlers fell onto the shoulders of Vin, Ezra, Buck, and J.D. Buck and J.D. usually worked together as a team, leaving Ezra to work with Vin. Ezra had trepidations about working with Vin ever since Chris took up residence at Ezra's poker table. Neither Chris nor Vin had spoken a word to the other since the afternoon Ezra left them together with Buck in Nathan's clinic to "settle things". He had stood outside for a moment after he closed the door and heard some heated words coming from Vin, but then things got too quiet for him to hear and he suspected it was Chris's turn to have his say. Ezra had left because Chris's voice was too quiet. This left Ezra in the unenviable position of working between the two strong willed men. 

*Speak of the devil*, Ezra thought as Vin walked through the batwing doors of the saloon. He spotted Chris and Ezra at Ezra's customary table and walked over them. He didn't exactly ignore Chris, but his manner was clearly directed towards Ezra.

"Grave's been dug. Josiah wants us out there in an hour."

Ezra nodded. "How is Mr. Jackson?"

"I just talked to him for a minute. He's over at the undertaker's with Josiah. Rain came in earlier this mornin' and she's with him now. He seems to be doin' all right." Vin turned to Chris, acknowledging him for the first time. "You'll be drivin' the buckboard carryin' the body. There's also a wheelchair loaded for you to sit in when we get there."

"I ain't sittin' in a wheelchair." Chris's eyes challenged Vin to argue with him, but Vin just shrugged. 

"Suit yourself." 

Chris nodded curtly, but Ezra could clearly read the pain in Chris's eyes. Vin turned back to Ezra. "I'm goin' to get myself cleaned up. If Nathan needs anything, he can find me at the bathhouse." Vin turned and strolled out of the saloon.

"I guess we should follow Mr. Tanner's example and get cleaned up for the funeral." Ezra stretched his arms out and glanced at his clothing. "I, for one, do not think that red is appropriate attire for a funeral."

Chris glanced down at his blue shirt and short black jacket and nodded. "I guess I should also change. I brought my black shirt and duster with me, just in case." Chris slowly stood and winced. "I was plannin' on changin' at the bathhouse but. . ." Chris stopped and his gaze fell to the window where he could see Vin just entering the bathhouse himself.

Ezra shook his head. Chris's loyalty to his friends astounded him sometimes. To an untrained eye, Chris was just as cold and mean and uncaring as the first day he walked into Four Corners. But to a trained con and gambler, Ezra could tell just how deep Chris's emotions ran. Ezra prided himself on being able to shut out his emotions and move on with his life at any time and without any regrets. Chris couldn't. He wore his emotions on his sleeve. If he liked you, you knew it. If he didn't like you - you either left town or died trying. 

Sometimes in the dark of the night, Ezra would wish that he was capable of feeling something for others as deeply as Chris. But then something like this estrangement with Vin would occur and Ezra would be grateful that he couldn't feel that deeply because seeing the anguish written in Chris face was almost as painful for Ezra as it was for Chris. 

"Mr. Larabee, instead of strainin' your injury by walkin' over to the bathhouse, why don't you employ my quarters to make yourself presentable. Inform me when you are through and we will attend the funeral together." Ezra pulled the key to his room out of his pocket and leaned across the table to hand it to Chris.

Chris didn't seem hear him because he was still staring out the window, but Ezra knew better and waited patiently. Chris eventually turned to Ezra and said quietly, "Thank you, Ezra." Then he took the key and walked out through the batwing doors heading towards the boarding house.

**********************

*The Undertaker's"

"Whattya mean the headstone's paid for?" Nathan was really confused. He knew that eventually he would have to bury his father, but he had put off purchasing a casket and headstone until after his death. Now the undertaker, old Mr. Withers, was refusing to take money from him.

"Just what I said, Mr. Jackson. A gentleman came in here a few days ago. He said that he was here to purchase a casket and headstone for your father. He gave me the money and said that any balance left over after you chose the casket and headstone should be billed to him."

"But what gentleman? Who would do this?" Nathan glanced at Josiah. "Do you think it was Judge Travis? Maybe because he was still considered a prisoner and the county is responsible for his care?" 

Josiah shook his head. He knew nothing about this. "Was that who it was, Mr. Withers? Was it the judge?"

"I cannot say who it was, Mr. Jackson. The gentleman insisted on remaining anonymous. He said that the financial burden of burying a proud and honorable man such as your father should not fall on his son. The amount he left me was considerable. All you have to do is pick out what you want. My caskets, as you know, have many fine features to choose from. . ."

Nathan cut off Mr. Withers' sales pitch with a wave of his hand. He motioned Josiah and Rain over to a corner so he could talk to them privately.

"I don't like this. Who would care how my father was buried and how I would pay for it?" Nathan ran his fingers through his hair, the frustration written all over his face.

"Perhaps it was one of your patients. Someone who couldn't afford to pay for your services at the time," Rain suggested, gently rubbing Nathan's arm to soothe him.

"But I accept bartered goods and services. Hell, the restaurant has an entire coop full of chickens that farmers have given me for payment. I've eaten more chicken this year than I have in the past fifteen. Not to mention free clothing and laundry and milk. . ." Nathan shook his head. 

"Why don't you accept the gift in the spirit that it was intended," Josiah suggested. "You could place the money you save into the fund you started for a down payment on a new and larger clinic in your own building."

Nathan started to get really angry. "You don't understand, Josiah. There's a white man out there who thinks that a black man can't make it on his own. A black man who can't even afford to pay for his own father's funeral. He thinks that he can make up for all those years of slavery by doling out cash. I can tell you now, Josiah, that I will not allow my father to be buried with a white man's pity money!"

"Mr. Withers never said it was a white gentleman," Josiah quietly corrected.

"Oh, come on, Josiah. How many black folks around here have that kind of money to throw around? I'll tell you how many. None! Sure, the seven of us have stopped the lynchin', but most black people still can't get a square meal at the same restaurant as you, or borrow money from the bank like you, or get paid the same amount of money for doin' the same job as you."

"You can," Rain reminded him gently. Suddenly Nathan wrapped his long arms around her and held her close.

"That's right. I can, but only because the folks around here know that if they tangle with me, they're goin' to have to tangle with Chris. They're smart enough not to challenge Chris on his choice of friends. Make no mistake though, if anything happens and this team breaks up, my "special" status in this town will disappear and I'll be just another nigger." 

"'He that trusteth in his riches shall fall.'" Josiah quoted. "I agree that things aren't the same for you, Nathan. But let's not make any hasty judgments. We don't know who paid for your father's funeral or why, but clearly this person feels that he is obligated you or your father. Until we find out what that reason is, I suggest that we go along with the arrangement. If you eventually find the reasons aren't to your liking , you can always go back to Mr. Withers and settle with him. You *can* make a difference here, Nathan. 'A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother'". 

Nathan thought about this until Rain gently nudged him the ribs. "You could use the money you save to buy me a wedding ring." Rain grinned impishly at the look of shock on Nathan's face.

"And what makes you think that I want to marry you?" Despite the harshness of the words, Nathan couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. 

Rain stood on tiptoe, kissed Nathan on the ear and whispered, "Because you are crazy about me." Nathan laughed. No wonder he loved this woman so much. She could make him laugh on one of the worst days of his life. 

"All right. I'll tell old man Withers to bury my father in the finest casket he owns and a headstone made with the finest engraving. But I ain't laying this mystery to rest. I want to find this gentleman and ask him a few questions!"

*************************

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 2

*Ezra's Room at the Boarding House*

Chris stopped outside of Ezra's room and fiddled with the key for a second. His stomach had started to throb after climbing the stairs and he thought that he might lie down on Ezra's bed for a few minutes before washing up and shaving. He pushed open the door and stopped short. Sitting on Ezra's bed was a young Chinese girl. He stared at her in surprise and she stared back with equal shock.

Recovering from her shock, the girl quickly slipped off the bed and moved as far away from Chris as she could.

"Li-Pong?" Chris asked, trying to keep his voice soft and gentle. No easy feat. Chris knew that even in the best of times he came across harsh and frightening to people who didn't really know him. He also knew something happened between Ezra and this girl that caused Ezra to run off on his own to try stop the near enslavement of her people at the railroad construction site, so he didn't want to frighten her off. Ezra had been very. . .tolerant, maybe even patient, with him this week. He owed Ezra for that. The throbbing in his stomach, however, could not be ignored so he slowly walked over to the bed and sat down slowly. He looked back over to the girl and motioned for her to sit down next to him. Her eyes darted towards the door, as if she were calculating her chances of successfully making a run for it.

"It's okay. I'm not goin' to hurt you. You remember me? I work with Ezra."

The girl looked at him again and smiled slightly. She recognized him. Chris patted the edge of the bed again and Li-Pong came over to sit next to him. Chris began to remove his black jacket and Li-Pong immediately moved to assist.

"You are hurt. Let me turn down the sheets so you can sleep." Her English was exceptional and her voice very soothing to Chris.

"No. I came up here to get ready for a funeral. Ezra is in the saloon. I thought Ezra sent you to San Francisco to be with your family? He doesn't know that you're here, does he?"

"No, he does not. I arrived with the stage and came directly here to wait for him. He gave me a key to his room to keep as a way to remember him." Li-Pong showed Chris the key that dangled from a chain around her neck.

Chris nodded, but he looked at her again because there was something different about her. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Something about her face, her body. . .no both. Suddenly an image of Sarah appeared in Chris's mind's eye and he understood what he was seeing.

"You're pregnant," Chris stated flatly. Li-Pong just blinked at him. Thinking that maybe she didn't know that particular word, Chris repeated himself. "You're going to have Ezra's baby."

Tears immediately welled up in Li-Pong's eyes and she nodded. "When my family found out, I had to tell them the truth about how I was able to come home. They wanted me to marry my cousin, but I overheard him say that he did not wish to raise a white man's baby. So I took what was left of the money Ezra gave me and I came back. I have no where else to go." The tears spilled out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry." Chris pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped away her tears. "Ezra is a gentleman. I know he'll marry you."

"But what if he says no?" More tears started to spill.

Chris didn't know what to say to that. He refused to get involved in anyone's private affairs and he wouldn't force Ezra into an unwanted marriage. "Let's talk to Ezra first. He may just surprise you. Now why don't you step outside for a few minutes while I get washed and changed and then we'll go find Ezra."

Li-Pong dried her tears and headed for the door. Before stepping out into the hallway, she turned back towards Chris. "Mr. Larabee, if I may be so bold to ask, how did you know I was to have a baby?"

Chris felt a small smile of remembrance flit across his hardened features. "When I first came in here, when you thought I was going to hurt you, you moved away and placed your hand on your stomach," Chris imitated the movement to make sure she understood his words. "It looked like there was something valuable under there that you were trying to protect. And when you were sitting next to me just now, you had a look about you - a look on your face that reminded me of my wife, Sarah, just before she told me that she was going to have my baby."

Li-Pong silently crossed the room and gently kissed Chris on the cheek. "She was a woman of much luck to have found a man like you." She left the room silently as if she had never been there.

***********************

*The Saloon*

Ezra sat at his table patiently waiting for Chris to reappear. He had only been alone for about five minutes when the batwing doors swung open. Ezra glanced up and observed a well-dressed, but nondescript-looking stranger enter and stand just inside the doors. The stranger glanced quickly around the near-empty saloon before heading casually over to Ezra's table and sitting down opposite him.

"May I interest you in a game of chance, sir?" Ezra inquired.

"Perhaps a hand or two," the stranger replied with an accent similar to Ezra's own.

"A fellow confederate. Would you perchance be from the glorious state of Louisiana?" Ezra quickly dealt out the first hand of cards between them.

"No. I grew up on a plantation just outside of Atlanta." The stranger scratched his goatee absently and picked up his cards. 

"Really? I had occasion to reside there for a time." Ezra glanced up from his cards to find the stranger staring at him instead of his cards. It was not a stare one usually associated with a bluff, but one filled with knowledge and cruelty. 

"I know," the stranger replied.

"Then perhaps we were aquainted with one another at one point. I must apologize, but I observe so many faces in my profession that it is difficult sometimes to recognize a face." As he spoke, Ezra subtly shifted his grasp on the cards allowing him the freedom to eject his derringer should the situation turn into a confrontation.

"Oh, you wouldn't remember me." The stranger's grin reminded Ezra of a snake about to strike it's prey. "I was too far down the social ladder for you to notice. But I know all about you. . .Ezra Jackson."

Ezra didn't even feel the cards slip out of his hand and spill onto the floor. In a low, intense voice Ezra drawled, "The name is Standish."

"You sure about that?" The stranger gave Ezra another cruel grin. "Did you ever make that change legal? No you didn't, did you. See, I had to do a little studyin' up on your more recent past, but I know you from way back on that plantation. You had quite a pampered life back then, didn't you?"

"That life is over!" Ezra hissed and quickly glanced around the saloon hoping no one could overhear. Luckily, at this early hour the saloon remained nearly empty. "It ended with the Yankee invasion of Atlanta. The plantation is gone, burned to the ground. There's no point in dredgin' up the past."

"But there is a point." The stranger nodded towards one of the saloon windows where Ezra could see Nathan, Rain, and Josiah walking out of the undertaker's office. "That negro doctor you've been runnin' with, he doesn't know that you lived on the same plantation he slaved on, does he?"

Ezra said nothing.

"And he doesn't know that it was his master, Mr. Edward Jackson, who was your father, does he?"

"Step-father," Ezra corrected.

"Step-father? Is that the title you designate for the man who married your poor, supposedly widowed mother? The man who raised you like you were his own son? Who taught you to read and write and speak like a gentleman should? Who showed you how to defend the Jackson name with both a sword and a gun?"

"That's enough." Ezra leaned over the table and looked directly into the strangers eyes. "State your purpose or leave this establishment immediately."

The stranger calmly returned Ezra's glare. "Old Edward Jackson did more that just raise you. He gave you a legacy. You were to be the heir to his fortune. He showed you everything you needed to know about operatin' a successful cotton plantation. He allowed you oversee the slaves in his own home and encouraged you to keep them in line any way necessary, includin' the use of a sturdy bullwhip. What do you think that negro doctor of yours is going to do if he were to find out that it might have been you that put those marks on his back?"

So there is was. Blackmail. The stranger wanted something from Ezra and if Ezra didn't capitulate, Nathan would find out who Ezra really was. Ezra took a deep breath to calm himself. Now, more than ever, he needed to keep his thoughts clear. 

"How much?" Ezra asked.

The stranger just laughed heartily. "Oh, a lot more than what you have. No, Mr. Jackson. . ."

Ezra slammed his hand down on the table temporarily halting the stranger's laughter. "The name is Standish." Ezra tone of voice was murderous.

The stranger's manner also changed to one of deadly seriousness. "All right. . .Standish. Tonight you will insist on keepin' watch over at the jail. After you serve the prisoners their dinner, you will forget to lock the cells afterwards. My associates will leave at midnight and you will see that there are enough horses saddled over at the livery for them to make a quick and quiet get away."

"And if I do remember to lock the cells?" Ezra questioned.

The stranger sighed with mock sympathy. "Apple never falls far from the tree. The father of that negro doctor beat a former foreman to death. They're kind are really little more than mindless animals, incapable of controlling themselves. What do you think his son will do to the son of the man in charge of the whole plantation?" Ezra didn't respond, so the stranger continued. "You make sure that those cells are unlocked at midnight and those horses are ready to ride. In return, I'll forget that you turned your back on your father's memory and befriended a negro!"

**********************

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 3

*Outside the Church*

Vin slowly eased himself down on the steps of the church. He could hear movement from inside and assumed that it was Josiah getting a few things together for the funeral. Nathan and Josiah had already loaded Obediah's body into the casket and the casket onto the buckboard. Mary had printed in the newspaper that morning that the funeral procession would start at 1:00 and proceed down the center of town towards the gravesite. Vin had met up with her, just after he received word of Obediah's death, to cancel his reading lesson for the day. There was still half an hour left before the procession was to begin. 

"It's hot out there, Vin. Why don't you come inside?" Vin looked up to see Josiah standing over him.

"Nah, I'm all right." Vin glanced at the darker interior and shuddered slightly. He and Josiah had started meeting outside the church more and more often these days. It had all started when Josiah "confessed" to Vin about his sister and their troubled childhood. Sometimes they would sit together and talk about the town and occasionally Josiah would talk about his past. But sometimes they wouldn't talk at all. Instead, they would just sit together enjoying each other's quiet company. At one time Vin would sit with Chris for hours like that, but now he could barely tolerate being in the same room with Chris. 

Josiah noticed Vin's slight reaction to his suggestion of going inside before he joined Vin on the church steps. "You don't like churches much, do you?"

Vin shrugged. "The preacher at the orphanage I grew up in used to haul all of us kids into the chapel every Sunday to tell us how we were all goin' to rot in hell 'cause we were bastards. Haven't had much use for a church since I ran away."

Josiah nodded in sympathy. "He was a foolish man. But a man doesn't have to be dead to be sufferin' like he was in hell."

Vin gave Josiah a hard look, knowing that Josiah was referring to the estrangement between him and Chris. "What are ya diggin' for, Josiah? Chris and I already had it out. Until he can recognize me as Vin Tanner and not the ghost of his dead son, we got nothin' to say to each other."

"Then why are you still here in town? You don't need Chris to accompany you to Tuscosa and watch your back. Any one of us would do that. All you have to do is ask. Why are you still waiting here for Chris?" Josiah sat back and waited while Vin thought about this.

"Don't rightly know. I guess I'm just fulfillin' my obligation to Judge Travis. I promised to protect this town." Vin looked down and kicked a stone off the church steps and watched as it bounced to the down to the ground step by step until it hit the dirt.

"Judge Travis doesn't expect any of us to stay here forever. I think he's surprised any of us stuck it out this long." Josiah paused to let Vin speak, but Vin said nothing. "You don't talk much about your past, Vin, but I get the impression that you hold your pa in high regard."

Vin nodded. "Just before she died, my mama told me to never forget that I was a Tanner. I never have and I never will."

"So your mother laid the burden of keepin' your father's memory alive even though you don't really have any memories of him." Vin nodded again at Josiah, but much more warily, not sure where Josiah was going with this. "Do you think that maybe, deep down inside, you welcomed the idea of being Chris Larabee's son?" Vin's jaw dropped open and Josiah knew he hit the nail on the head. "The pride you felt at the idea of Chris as your father also made you feel like you were betraying your mama and your pa. Maybe instead of feeling angry at yourself about betraying them, you blame Chris for your betrayal and turned your anger onto him?" 

Suddenly Vin looked like he was about to cry. Instead, he leaped to his feet and with hands on his hips, hovering over the still seated Josiah. "That ain't true, Josiah! You take that back! You got no right spoutin' that kind of crap at me! I'm a *Tanner*, damn you! And damn Chris Larabee too! I ain't lettin' either of you take that away from me!" Josiah slowly stood up. Vin had turned his sadness back into anger, but it was a child's anger, and like a child, he didn't know what to do with it. 

Josiah reached out to touch Vin's shoulder, but Vin shoved Josiah's hand away as he continued to rant. "Who the hell are you anyway?! Who are you to tell me how to feel?! What do you know about my father?!

Again Josiah reached out for Vin's shoulder. "Vin, I think we should go inside. We're starting to draw a crowd."

Vin looked around and noticed some women across the street looking at them. Vin also noticed that he was shaking very badly. He felt like his legs could no longer support him. When Josiah reached out and wrapped his long arm around Vin's shoulder, Vin didn't fight it. He quietly let Josiah lead him into the church. He quickly sat Vin down in one of the pews. Vin immediately drew his legs up and wrapped his arms around them. He couldn't stop shaking and shivering. Even his teeth were chattering and he felt very, very scared.

"Josiah, what just happened? Why do I feel so cold?" Vin started to rock back and forth a little in the pew.

Josiah sighed. "I'm sorry, Vin. I think I upset one of your demons and he's taking it out on you."

"Then what you said is true? I really do want to be Chris Larabee's son?" Vin looked over at Josiah with fear in his eyes.

"I don't think you want to be his son, Vin. I think that there have been so few men in your life that deserved your respect that when you did find someone, you began to wonder what your life would have been like if he had been there for you all those years ago. "

Vin swallowed and wiped his hands across his face as he slowly lowered his legs to the ground. "Ma never told me what happened to my pa. I've always felt like he just left her one day. I think. . .I think that I've been angry with him all this time because of that, but I don't think that ma wanted me angry with him so she told me to always remember that I was a Tanner." Vin shuddered a little. "I just wanted to be a good son, Josiah. I've tried so hard to be a good son, to live up to what my ma wanted to be, but it's been so hard. . ."

Josiah slid closer to Vin so he could look Vin directly in the eyes. "You *have* been a good son, Vin. When those Texas cowboys wanted to hang Nathan, you were the first one out there with a weapon ready to defend him. When the town was ready to hang Chanu, you followed your instinct and proved him innocent. You have won the respect of six gunfighters to whom respect is hard won. You have the respect of a hardened federal judge, who has to uphold the law in a near lawless society, and the respect of his daughter-in-law, a woman who wields quite a bit of power in her own right."

"Ch...Charlotte. I betrayed all of you for Charlotte." 

Joshiah sighed. "'The road to hell is paved with good intentions.' Charlotte was a woman with a lot of pain. All you tried to do is take away some of that pain. You had good intentions, Vin. We understand that and we forgive you for it. You *have* been a good, son. Not a perfect son, because that is simply not possible, but a good son."

Vin looked away from Josiah and leaned back to look at the ceiling, his eyes avoiding the crucifix at the front of the church. 

Josiah continued. "If deep down you feel that there are elements of your relationship with Chris that make you see him as a father figure and Chris see you as a son, don't you think that there is a way for each of you to meet halfway and rebuild some sort of friendship again?"

Vin was still stared at the ceiling, but now he closed his eyes. "I miss him, Josiah. He's the first person that I ever felt really. . .comfortable with. Like I could turn my back and not worry that I would soon find a knife in it. Even with the Kiowas and Comanches, I had to always be very careful to respect their traditions and not offend anyone. When I met Chris. . .for the first time in my life I could relax and. . .enjoy just living, enjoy just bein' myself. The only other times I've felt that was when I was livin' in the mountains, but that gets so lonely sometimes. . ." 

Voices outside the church alerted Vin and Josiah that the funeral procession would be starting soon. Vin immediately jumped up and tried to wipe the residue of tears from his face. Josiah placed his hands on Vin's shoulders and urged him to sit back down.

"Stay here, Vin. Take some time to get yourself together. I'll keep everyone outside. You join us when you feel ready." Josiah slipped out from the pew and into the aisle.

"Thanks, Josiah. I think. . .I think that I'll. . .talk to Chris. After the funeral, I'll talk to him." 

Josiah smiled gently and left Vin alone in the church.

*******************************

*Ezra's Room at the Boarding House*

Chris glanced around the Ezra's room to make sure that he hadn't left anything behind. It had taken him longer to change and wash up than he had expected. He found that he had to stop a lot more often than he would have liked to rest. He might just wind up having to use that wheelchair at the funeral after all. It would certainly be a lot less embarrassing than passing out in front of everyone. Quickly he opened the door and walked out into the corridor. Li-Pong was waiting for him patiently.

"Are you ready to find Ezra?" he asked.

Li-Pong nodded. She accepted his proffered arm and they walked down the corridor together until they reached the stairs. Chris stopped and gazed down the two flights and grimaced as his stomach knotted up with the thought of displacing so much of his weight trying to step downward. Li-Pong noticed his distress and moved Chris's arm around her shoulders.

"No, don't." Chris tried to remove his arm. "I'm too heavy. You might fall down the stairs and hurt the baby."

"It is okay, Mr. Larabee. I am stronger than I look." Chris looked at her skeptically, but let her move his arm back around her shoulders. Slowly they made it downstairs with Chris alternating between leaning on Li-Pong and leaning on the banister. At the bottom of the stairs, Chris had to stop and sit down for a minute. 

"Let me go and get you something to drink." Li-Pong sprang up and disappeared around the corner. At that moment, Ezra walked into the boarding house. He spied Chris sitting at the bottom of the stairs.

"I thought you might have a problem navigating the architecture of this establishment. Allow me to assist you to the church?" Ezra held out his hand to help Chris stand up.

"Actually, Ezra, I just need to rest a moment to rest. I ran into a friend of yours who was waiting for you in your room." Ezra paled considerable at Chris's words. 

"Who!" Ezra demanded, fearing it was the stranger who was blackmailing him. Instead Chris just looked beyond Ezra and nodded his head. Ezra whirled around to see Li-Pong standing there with a glass of water in her hand. For the second time that day Ezra felt as if the cards had been knocked out of his hand. He immediately reached for Li-Pong's free hand.

"My dear, your return gladdens my heart, but why are you here? You should be settled in San Francisco with your family." Ezra glanced at Chris. Chris read the meaning in Ezra's eyes and carefully stood up. He took the glass of water from Li-Pong.

"Thank you for gettin' me the water. There's still half an hour before the procession, so why don't both of you go upstairs to talk." Chris left the boarding house as quickly as he could, leaving Ezra to escort Li-Pong back to his quarters.

Once inside, Ezra took both of Li-Pong's hands into his and just stared into her eyes. After a moment he said, "I had no idea how I have longed for your touch since you took your leave of this community." Li-Pong smiled. She turned and lead Ezra out to the balcony. Ezra grinned as he immediately sat in "their" rocking chair and pulled Li-Pong onto his lap. She squirmed for a moment until she settled comfortably against his chest with her forehead placed gently against his. Ezra breathed in her scent and wrapped his arms around her waist. All his worries about the procession, dealing with Chris and Vin, the blackmailer - drained away and melted into the floorboards beneath him.

"Oh, my dear, I wish we could stay like this forever." Ezra rubbed his forehead against hers before turning up his head to place a light kiss on her cheek.

Li-Pong turned to face Ezra directly. "I wish this too, but first I have to tell you something." She reached for Ezra's left hand, removed it from her waist, and placed it on her abdomen. "I am going to have your baby."

Ezra blinked. "My. . .my baby?"

Li-Pong nodded.

Ezra just stared at her and then turned to look out into the town. "My baby," he repeated. "I'm going to be a father." He thought of the children that he had entertained in the Seminole village, of Olivia, for whom he risked his life, and of little Billy Travis who had finally come to live with his mother in this town. "I'm going to be a father." Ezra suddenly realized that he finally understood just how deeply Chris Larabee could care for his friends, because for the first time in his life he was feeling it too. Ezra turned back to the beautiful woman sitting in his lap and kissed her deeply.

"Li-Pong," Ezra said when they finally broke apart to breath. "Would you do me the honor of marryin' me?"

Li-Pong's eye's teared a little. "Yes, Ezra, I will marry you."

Ezra smiled and hugged her close. "Now, my dear, I must attend this funeral, but afterwards we will go directly to the judge and schedule the ceremony. I'm sure Mrs. Travis will want us to have the reception somewhere other than the saloon, but we can worry about that later."

"We should also inform your mother." Li-Pong interrupted quietly.

"Oh, yes. Maude. I wonder how she's going to react when she discovers that there is goin' to be another . . . Mrs. Standish. . ." A troubled look passed over Ezra's smooth features as his voice trailed off.

Li-Pong waited a moment for Ezra to continue his thought. When he didn't she shook him a little. "Ezra. Are you ill?" 

Ezra returned from his reverie and smiled up at his bride-to-be. "No, my dear. I'm just fine. We may have to delay the weddin' for a little while I take care of some personal business." 

"Oh, please, Ezra. Let us not wait too long." Li-Pong glanced down meaningfully to her abdomen.

Ezra caught her chin with his fingers and gently lifted her face up so he could once again look deeply into her eyes. "Not to worry. It will only take Maude a few days to travel here from Santa Fe. We should also invite your family as well."

Li-Pong shook her head sadly. "They would not come. When my family found out that I was to have a baby, they arranged for me to marry my cousin. One night, I overheard him tell my uncle that he did not want to raise a white man's baby. I became afraid, so I decided to return here. I am a great dishonor to them. They do not acknowledge me as family anymore." She started crying and laid her head on Ezra's shoulder. Ezra didn't know what to say to comfort her. Although Maude had often dumped him at the homes of relatives or left him in the care of his step-fathers, he had always known in the back of his mind that she would come back for him, if for no other reason that to run another con. It saddened him and even angered him sometimes that she did this, but there was always the security of knowing that she would come back for him.

"Don't worry, my dear. It will all work out. I promise, it will all work out." Ezra whispered into her ear as he rocked her back and forth.

*******************

*Above the Saloon*

Buck Wilmington checked his watch. He still had half an hour before the procession and he still had one more errand to run. He walked down the corridor of the apartments located above the saloon where most of the "working girls" lived and where they entertained their clients. Stopping in front of apartment seven, Buck knocked on the door.

From inside, a female voice shouted. "C'mon in, Buck."

Buck grinned as he opened the door. Blossom knew the sound of his stride from all the way downstairs. Although he entertained a variety of women in Four Corners, he always returned to Blossom. He once considered why he kept coming back to her even when there were plenty of younger and prettier women to get to know, but the answer he came up with was too terrifying to think about, so he stopped thinking about it.

Buck closed the door behind him and noticed that Blossom was changing her clothes behind a screen in the far corner of the room. "I'll be right with you, Buck!" She called out.

"No rush!" Buck called back. He wandered about the room and noticed some books on her dresser. He looked at them and was shocked to discover that the books were actually medical textbooks, like the kind that Nathan was always reading. 

*Now why would Blossom have medical textbooks?* Buck thought to himself. *Could Nathan have left them here? I didn't know he was one of her regular clients?* That thought did not sit very well with Buck. Buck had his share of women, but he never paid for it. He always treated the women with whom he spent his time with all the respect and tenderness they deserved. In Blossom's case, he also helped keep the more violent patrons away from her. If anyone caused her trouble, she just told Buck and the individual usually left town immediately after. In return, Blossom's door was always open to Buck, day or night.

Still, the idea that Nathan was paying Blossom for her services had an unsettling affect on Buck's emotions. He thought about what was causing his insides to jump around like they were, but the same answer he thought of before came to mind. So Buck shoved that answer back into the dark recess of his psyche and stopped thinking about it. 

"Howdy, Buck. You're lookin' mighty delicious today. Is that another new bandanna?" She pressed herself up against Buck's chest and engaged him in a deep kiss while untying the bandanna from around his neck.

Buck really didn't want to break off this kiss, but he had to. "I'm sorry, Blossom, but I have to cancel our little rendez-vous today."

"Oh, Buck why?" Blossom rubbed herself over several sensitive areas of Buck's anatomy. "Don't you like me anymore?" She crooned.

Buck groaned loudly trying to keep himself under control. "Oh, darlin', I like you just fine. But Obediah Jackson died early this mornin' and I've got to go to the funeral."

Blossom looked genuinely sad. "Poor Nathan. Please tell him that I said I'm sorry for his loss. He's been very kind when takin' care of us girls."

Buck nodded. "Is that why you have his books here on your dresser. He left them here when he was . . .takin' care of you?" Buck tried to look nonchalant, but it really wasn't working.

Blossom laughed. "No, he isn't a client. You look so cute when you're jealous." Buck bristled at the implication that he could be jealous of Nathan, but let the remark go for the moment. Later, when he wasn't in a rush and he had Blossom underneath him, he would enjoy getting his revenge. He knew how to find all her ticklish spots.

Blossom continued as if she knew what Buck was planning and hoped to distract him. "Those books are my nursing textbooks. I cleaned out one of the storage closets yesterday and found them in a hope chest my mother gave me when I first started school. She was a nurse too and she wanted me to be able to support myself."

"Why?" Buck sounded confused. "What about your husband? Did he want you workin' too?" 

"Oh, I didn't marry Bobby until much later, after I graduated and had been working at a hospital in Boulder for a few years. You see, Buck, I wasn't always the ravishing beauty you see before you." Blossom seductively flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I was actually quite a homely little girl and my mama decided that I would never get a husband with my looks, so she sent me to school instead. 

"I met Bobby at the hospital I was working at. He was an orderly on the night shift, the same shift I worked. By then I had gained a lot more confidence in myself and with my newfound confidence, my looks started to improve. I didn't realize that one was connected to the other, but Bobby did. He was the one who nicknamed me 'Blossom' because he said I 'blossomed' right before his eyes. He was the first and only man to fall in love with me. So we married a year after we met."

Blossom didn't see Buck involuntarily wince when she said 'only man to fall in love with me.' He knew that Blossom was a smarter than many of the ladies he kept company with, but it wasn't their brains he was interested in. Still, for some unfathomable reason, he was interested in hearing more about her past. 

"When did you move here, to Four Corners?"

Blossom thought for a second as she sat on the edge of her bed and motioned for Buck to sit next to her. "About three years after I married. Bobby kept tryin' to start a business with one deal after another fallin' through, so I had to keep workin' to support us. Then one day he insisted we move down here. He said that these boom towns were where all the money was being made. So we moved. Soon after he fell into a deal with some shady characters and next thing I know he's goin' to Yuma prison for attempted bank robbery." Blossom gave Buck a sardonic laugh. "There I was in the middle of nowhere; no money, no food, no place to live, no job prospects, and winter on the way. No one wanted to hire the wife of a jailbird, not even one with a nursing degree. So one day I walked into the saloon below and never walked back out." Blossom tried to smile in spite of the sadness in her eyes. 

Without even realizing what he was doing, Buck reached out and stroked the back of Blossom head. "I'm so sorry, Blossom. I know how tough it can be. My mama. . .well, she was a lot like you and I grew up in a place like this. I've heard a lot of stories very similar to yours. But I know you well enough to know that you're a smart cookie and if you ever need help with anything, you just call me, okay. I'll help you in any way that I can."

Blossom smiled at Buck. "That's sweet, Buck, but I don't think that I'm goin' to be in Four Corners for much longer."

Fear clutched at Buck's heart. "Why? Where are you goin'?"

"The 'where' part I'm not sure of yet. But before Judge Travis leaves, I'm going to talk to him and see if there's a way he can help me get a divorce from Bobby. After that, I guess I'll take some of the money I've saved over the years and head back to Boulder or some other big city with hospitals that might be hiring nurses."

Buck's heart was now hammering at his rib cage. "But why now? What's changed? Why do you have to leave?"

"I'm tired, Buck." Blossom sighed. "I'm tired and I'm getting old. Every day younger and prettier girls arrive in this town and the men just aren't knockin' on my door quite as often as they used to. Seein' those textbooks made me remember how happy I was bein' a nurse and taking care people. I remembered a time when goin' out in the evenin' was fun, not a chore. I'm tired of havin' drunks slobber all over me every night."

Buck looked hurt. "Oh, I didn't mean you, Buck!" Blossom immediately leaned into Buck's chest and hugged him close. "You're the only bright spot in my whole life right now. You don't know what your friendship means to me."

Buck nodded, but she couldn't see that because she was still hugging him, so he kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. "I know, I know," he whispered quietly. "Look, Blossom darlin', don't do anythin' just yet." He reached down and tilted her head up by the chin. "I mean, go ahead and talk to the judge about divorcin' Bobby but don't start packin' your bags. Okay? Let me do some askin' around and maybe I can find another job for you. Maybe Mrs. Travis knows of somethin'. She collects job wanted advertisements for her paper."

Blossom wrinkled her nose at Mary's name. Although she and Mary tolerated each others' presence in town, they weren't exactly on speaking terms either. Mary didn't appreciate the income "working girls" drew to this end of town, but at least she wasn't out front of the saloon with the temperance society waving a Bible in her hand.

"Don't worry, Buck. Even if Judge Travis does agree to help me, it will probably be a few months before the divorce is final, so I won't be goin' anywhere for awhile. Besides, how could I leave town without giving my favorite man a final good-bye?" Blossom gave Buck one last sensual kiss before he pulled away.

"I really got to get to that procession. Keep this bed warm for me and remember what I said about leavin'." Buck quickly left the room before he could change his mind.

***************************

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 4

*The Graveyard*

"Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection unto eternal life." Josiah intoned in a voice that was both powerful and gentle. 

Nathan looked around briefly at those gathered for his father's funeral. Rain stood by his side, steady and strong, wearing her simple, native dress. On her left stood Vin, Buck, Chris, and J.D. Chris had to lean heavily on J.D.'s shoulder for support, but he managed to stand through the whole funeral service. On the opposite side of the grave stood Orin, Mary, and Billy Travis, Inez Rosarios, and Gloria Potter and her children, all wearing proper funeral attire. Ezra and Li-Pong stood towards the end of the grave, opposite Josiah. Nathan was surprised to see Li-Pong at the procession, but there was no time to question Ezra about her presence. Behind Ezra and Li-Pong stood an odd assortment of about thirty townsfolk, most of whom had been Nathan's patients at one time or another. 

The funeral service came to an end, and the congregation started to break up. Folks who had arrived late came over to give their condolences to Nathan. Rain wasn't used to being around so many strangers at one time, but she never lost her composure. Still, Nathan sensed her tightening grip and aimed a look towards both Josiah and Buck. Immediately the two large men firmly planted themselves in front of Nathan and Rain. Together they managed to keep the congregation from crowding the mourners.

At the same time, J.D. firmly steered Chris out of the graveyard and towards the buckboard. Chris could hardly stand with the pain in his stomach and J.D.'s shoulders were starting to ache from supporting so much of Chris's weight. 

"Damn, Chris, you're heavier than you look," J.D. grunted.

"It's not the weight, kid, it's the years," Chris retorted.

"You ain't that old, Chris." J.D. panted while trying to catch his breath.

"I ain't that young, either, J.D. A few years ago, I would've recovered from that bullet wound a hell of a lot quicker." Both men groaned loudly as they finally reached the buckboard. Chris immediately removed his arm from J.D.'s shoulder, but neither one had the energy to climb aboard. J.D. looked up to meet Chris's eyes. He could see the haunted look there, but something else as well. 

"Y'know, Chris. Nathan once said somethin' to me a while back. He had been visitin' Chanu and his tribe for a couple of days, talkin' to them about different plants and herbs and stuff to heal people. And when he came back we got to talkin'. He was tryin' to get me to learn a little bit about healin' people. I guess he figured I should know somethin' about healin' just in case somethin' happens in town and he's not there to help.

"I didn't understand a lot of what he said because all them leaves and stuff look alike to me. But then he said somethin' that kind of sounded weird. He said somethin' like . . .if you feel good in your mind, your body will heal faster, but if you feel really bad in your mind, you body won't heal proper until you feel better in your mind again."

Chris didn't meet J.D.'s eyes. Instead he looked down and addressed the ground. "Whattya sayin', J.D.?" 

J.D. sighed. "I guess I'm tryin' to say is that maybe you ain't gonna heal until you and Vin make it right again." 

This time Chris did look up and looked J.D. straight in the eyes. J.D. noticed that Chris's face had a gray pallor and his eyes seemed watery. Chris reached out to touch J.D.'s shoulder and his lips opened to say something, but before he could utter a word he collapsed. J.D. managed to catch Chris's upper body before he hit the ground.

"Nathan! NATHAN!" J.D. screamed towards the graveyard hoping that someone would hear him. Frantically he tried to turn Chris onto his back, but Chris had curled up into a ball clutching his stomach. J.D. could see Nathan and the others running towards him.

"What happened?" Nathan yelled as he slid to stop next to J.D. 

J.D. shook his head. "I don't know. I was just talkin' to 'im when he passed out." Chris groaned loudly from below.

"Don't try to move, Chris." Nathan said. "Let me check you out."

Chris's eyes blinked open. "J.D.?"

J.D. immediately squatted down opposite Nathan. "I'm here, Chris." He picked up one of Chris's hands because Chris's eyes didn't seem to be focusing right and J.D. wasn't sure Chris could see him. Chris's hand felt cold and dry. 

"J.D.?" Chris blinked a few times. "It wasn't your fault, J.D. I should've used that damn wheelchair."

"You got that right," Nathan said as he finished his exam. "You over-exerted yourself and now you're payin' for it. Buck, help me get him loaded in back of the buckboard."

Buck nodded and took hold of Chris's feet as Nathan cradled Chris's upper body. Carefully they slid Chris into the buckboard. J.D. crawled in beside Chris. 

"I'll ride with him. Buck. . ."

Buck interrupted J.D. "Don't worry, kid, I'll round up the horses and get them back to the livery." 

"I'll drive the board." Josiah volunteered.

Within minutes the buckboard pulled out with rest of the seven following, except Vin. He just stood and stared at the ground where Chris collapsed while the rest of the congregation passed by him.

***********************

*Two hours later - Nathan's Clinic*

Nathan stepped outside his door to find Ezra hovering around outside.

"How is our venerable leader?" Ezra asked.

"Doin' better. He's gotten his color back and he's complain' about my bedside manner. Between that and the fact that Buck and J.D. have been hoverin' over him since we arrived, I don't think there's anythin' to worry about." Nathan glanced around. "Have you seen Rain?"

"Both our ladyloves have joined the Travises over at the Clarion." Ezra explained.

"I better get over there." Before Nathan could move around Ezra, Ezra laid a hand on Nathan's shoulder.

"My friend, I have a rather delicate matter that I need to discuss with you. Would you mind. . ." Ezra indicated with his hand that he wanted to talk to Nathan in the privacy of the adjoining room. 

Nathan sighed. "Sure, Ezra." He followed Ezra back inside. Once they were in the room, Nathan took his stethoscope out. "Okay, Ezra, why don't you remove that red jacket and tell me where it hurts."

Ezra shook his head and laughed a little. "It's a blazer, not a jacket. I'm sorry, my friend, but my dilemma isn't clinical. It's personal."

Nathan frowned. "Maybe you should talk to Josiah? I'm not really all that good with 'personal' problems."

Ezra shook his head again. "No. This involves you." Ezra paused while Nathan and he sat down in the wooded chairs provided by the establishment. "Mr. Jackson, you remember when we first met? When I first refused to join this eminent group and ride out to the Seminole village?"

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, I remember. You refused to join because you didn't want to ride with a black man."

"That's right." Ezra agreed and continued. "Now, you've had an opportunity to observe my mother, Maude, while she has visited our town. In fact, your father spent some time occupying our local penitentiary along side my mother. He must have spoken about her at some point."

Again Nathan nodded. "He did mention her once or twice. They seemed to have exchanged a few stories during their time in jail. I think he liked her."

Ezra paused and mulled over that bit of information. "Would you say that my mother was a prejudiced woman? That she holds the same contempt for negroes as many other citizens?"

"I never had that impression of her." Nathan replied. He smiled as he thought back to his interaction with Maude. "She seemed very friendly towards me, especially when I agreed to set up my practice in her hotel."

Ezra grimaced slightly at that reminder. "I'm glad you said that, because my mother is not a prejudiced woman. The only colors that matter to Maude are green and gold. She never taught me to hate someone because of the color of their skin. That was something that I learned from someone else."

Nathan frowned. "Who?" 

Ezra took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes before continuing. "During my formative years, Maude often left me for extended periods of time with various friends and relatives while she was working a con. Most of our family lived in and around New Orleans, so that is where I spent my youth. Soon after my thirteenth summer, Maude returned and announced that she had married again. This was her third husband and we were to move into his home. He agreed to adopt me, so I would carry his name and become heir to his land and his fortune. He was a wealthy plantation owner from Atlanta. His name was . . . Edward Jackson." 

Ezra looked directly into Nathan's eyes to see how he would react to this news. He didn't have to wait long. Before he could draw his next breath, Nathan reached out, grabbed Ezra by the collar with both his hands and slammed the smaller man into the nearest wall.

"You son-of-a-bitch! I remember you now! You used to follow Mr. Jackson into the fields on your fancy horses wearing your fancy clothin'. You used to watch us work, watch the foreman as the whipped us, watched as they beat us into the ground!" Nathan slammed Ezra back into the wall again. "You were there at the auction block when we were sold! You bastard! I oughta kill you right here, right now!" Nathan slammed Ezra once again into the wall. His grip on Ezra's collar was so tight that Ezra started to have trouble breathing.

Ezra hadn't tried to stop Nathan's rampage. He waited until Nathan paused and then slowly brought his right hand up and gently tried to pull Nathan's hands away. 

"My friend, do not do this. . ." Ezra managed to choke out, but Nathan just slammed him back again.

"I am *not* you friend!" Nathan's grip tightened.

"Okay, you're not my friend." Ezra tried again to pull Nathan's hands away, but he was beginning to have serious difficulty breathing. "But if you continue . . . on this course of action. . . you will only prove him . . . right."

"Prove who right?" Nathan questioned but didn't let go.

"The man . . . blackmailing me. The one who . . . said you would kill me. . . just like your father. . . killed the foreman." Ezra gasped for air. "He said your kind are just animals . . . can't control yourselves." 

Nathan dropped Ezra like he had touched a hot branding iron. Ezra staggered for a moment, but Nathan ignored him and moved towards the window overlooking the town.

"How long have you know about this?" Nathan barked out sharply.

Ezra sat down in the chair again drawing air into his lungs and rubbing this neck. "The notion that we may have occupied the same plantation may have crossed my mind once or twice over the past year, but I wasn't sure until we had our little duel with the swords. Your. . .technique is exactly the same as Edward Jackson's. He taught me as well, but I could never match him. When you and I dueled, it was like sparring with him all over again." 

Nathan turned back to face Ezra, glaring at him with murder still in his eyes. "Why are you tellin' me this?"

Ezra cleared his throat. "Like I said, I am being blackmailed. The blackmailer knows about our respective pasts and threatened to reveal the information about me to you if I did not capitulate to his demands."

"So by tellin' me yourself, you're underminin' the blackmailer. Who's blackmailin' you?" Ezra visibly relaxed. Clearly Nathan wasn't going to inflict any further bodily harm on Ezra, so now he could focus on the problem at hand.

"I don't have a name. He says he knows me from the plantation, so he must have been employed there in some fashion." Ezra removed his silver flask from his jacket pocket and took a small swig of brandy that always kept on hand.

"How much does he want?" Nathan still had Ezra pinned under a harsh gaze, but Ezra noticed the tension lessening in Nathan's stance. Ezra relaxed even more.

"He is not interest in financial gain, at least not from me. He wants me to forget to lock the cell that houses our boorish guests at the local stockade tonight and make sure that there are enough mounts ready to ride at midnight." 

Nathan's gaze drifted away from Ezra as he thought this through. 

"You could've gone through with it. The blackmailer wouldn't have stuck around if he's into cattle rustlin'. You could have come up with any number of reasons for lettin' them get away." 

"I could have, but I did not." Ezra stood up and walked over to Nathan. He stood up straight and looked directly into Nathan's eyes. "I am *not* the same man that I was last year. I respect you, Mr. Jackson. I respect you for the way you have selflessly devoted your life to healing others. That's not something I would have said a year ago. I will not turn my back on the six members of this group, nor will I turn my back on this town. 

"I want that bastard caught, Mr. Jackson. He may leave town as long as his cattle rustlin' operation remains a prosperous affair, but sooner or later his luck will change and he will return lookin' for more favors from me. I intend to be married soon. I will be startin' a family and I will make Four Corners my home. I do *not* want this unscrupulous blackguard threatening my family." The intensity Nathan saw in Ezra's green eyes startled him.

"Family?" Nathan shook his head incredulously. "You and Li-Pong?"

"That's correct." Ezra said not backing down from his nose-to-nose stance with Nathan.

"You got her pregnant, didn't you?" Nathan's face turned to disgust. "I warned you about taking advantage of her."

This time it was Ezra's turn to grab Nathan by the collar. "I did *not* take advantage of her. What we shared together was the most precious night of my life, and I do not regret it. I will *not* have your loathsome ideas about me tarnish that memory. I may not be your ideal vision of a husband and father, but I love that girl and I will take care of her now and forever." Ezra let go of Nathan and he started to stalk out of the room.

"Ezra, wait." Ezra turned around to face Nathan again. "I'm sorry about what I said. I'm sure you'll make a fine husband and father. I just can't shake the notion that maybe she still feels. . ." Nathan fumbled for the right word.

"Obliged?" Ezra supplied dryly.

"Yeah, that's it. Obliged." Nathan said,

"I assure you, Mr. Jackson. Li-Pong does not feel obliged towards me. We have already discussed that."

"So, what are you goin' to do now?" Nathan asked.

"I think it would be best if I informed the rest of our party of my situation." Ezra turned back towards the door, but this time Nathan's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"You're the one who paid for my father's funeral, aren't you?" Ezra turned back to see that there was no more malice in Nathan's eyes. Just questions.

"Actually, no. That was Maude's inspiration. She forwarded to me the currency, and I handled the transaction." 

Completely surprised, Nathan didn't say anything moment, so Ezra took the initiative.

"Mr. Jackson, I am sure that you desire to interrogate me about our common history, but now is not the time. I will be willing to answer all of your questions once we have the situation in hand."

Nathan nodded and then he motioned Ezra ahead of him as they headed towards the door. Once outside they found Vin waiting for them, leaning on the walkway rail. 

"You two were awfully loud for an examination." Vin commented.

"I better see if we woke up Chris," Nathan said.

"Would you mind joining me in the saloon for a drink?" Ezra asked Vin. "I have a personal matter of significant consequences that I need to discuss with you and the others."

Vin hesitated, glancing at the closed door leading the clinic where Chris lay sleeping. 

"Go ahead, Vin." Nathan encouraged. "I'll stay here with Chris and send Buck and J.D. over to the saloon. I already know what Ezra has to say. When Chris wakes up, I'll tell him myself what's goin' on."

"All right." Vin reluctantly agreed and proceeded to follow Ezra down the stairs.

************************

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 5

*Mary's Home behind the Clarion*

Mary shook her head in frustration as she filled cups of tea for her guests. Inez had brought the food she prepared for the small reception that was to be held at her saloon. With Nathan taking care of Chris there seemed to be little reason for anyone to gather there. Now Mary was stuck with a room full of guests she had to play hostess to when all she really wanted to do was run over to Nathan's clinic and sit at Chris's bedside until. . .

*Until when?*, Mary thought to herself severely. * Until he wakes up? Until he looks into your eyes and sees how much you care? Until he says 'I love you'? You could spend the rest of your life waiting for that.* 

Mary understood all to well the fine line she tread with Chris Larabee. The rumors and gossip would have destroyed the reputation of any other woman. Mary knew part of the reason she hadn't been run out of town was because of her relationship to the judge and the fact that Chris would probably shoot anyone who maligned her. Still, she had to be careful not to give the public more fuel for the fire. That's why she didn't run to Chris's side every time he was wounded or ask for his assistance for every difficulty that arose. Still, there were moments when she would catch him looking at her from across the road and it was all she could do to keep herself from running into his arms. Mary shook her head severely as she carried the tray of tea into her parlor. Nettie and Casey Wells, Gloria Potter, Inez Rosarios, Rain and Li-Pong all accepted the tea politely. Li-Pong had removed her earrings to show Casey their craftsmanship. Inez and Rain laughed together as they related tales of their first encounters with Buck and Nathan. Nettie Wells, who knew Gloria Potter from shopping in her store whenever she came to town, caught up on local news and gossip from the other widow. Mary marveled at how well all the women seemed to get along despite their differences in skin color, language, and backgrounds. 

*We're our own 'Magnificent Seven'* she thought ruefully as she placed the tray on a coffee table in front of the couch where Nettie and Gloria sat. *Jock Steele should only see us.*

"Rain, Li-Pong," Mary gently interrupted the women, "where are you planning on sleeping tonight?"

"I was planning on sleeping with Nathan." Rain said immediately. Li-Pong nodded in agreement. "And I would sleep with Ezra." Mary winced at the women's' choice of words and out of the corner of her eye she could see Gloria and Nettie give each other significant looks. This would not do. 

"May I suggest that both of you stay with me? My bed is big enough for both of you and I can sleep in Billy's bed." 

"But where will your son sleep?" Rain inquired.

"At my place," Gloria volunteered. "I have an extra mattress for him. Karen loves doting on Billy and Robert likes having someone younger than himself to tease."

Rain glanced at Li-Pong, both suddenly realizing that they could create quite a scandal if the townsfolk realized that they were engaging in extra-marital activities with their men. Rain thought back to the conversation she, Nathan, and Josiah had that morning about Nathan's "special" status in town. Would it be enough to protect her from townsfolk who merely tolerated "darkies" because of the presence of the other peacekeepers? Rain had felt a certain sense of insecurity ever since her encounter with the murderer called Poplar and because of that reason she had started sleeping with a knife under her pillow. Staying with Nathan would make her feel safer, but she didn't want to cause trouble in the town in which she may soon make her home. 

At the same time Li-Pong's hand drifted down towards her abdomen, and she gently stroked the child growing within her. She had passed through numerous towns on her way to and from San Francisco. Many of those towns had anti-Chinese committees whose members made sure Chinese folk knew that they were not welcome. She had been very lucky to run into enough people who willing to look the other way in exchange for some of the money Ezra had given her. They sold her enough food to keep her from feeling hunger. She slept on many floors at night, but she was used to that. She didn't think that such a committee existed in Four Corners, but she knew that she and Ezra would probably live here after they married, and she did not want to offend the other residents.

Both women nodded to each other, coming to the same conclusion. 

"We would be honored to sleep in your home, Mrs. Travis." Li-Pong responded for both of them.

"Now that that's settled, Casey and I should return to the hotel." Nettie stood up and indicated to Casey that she should get up off the floor where she had been sitting. "If you need extra blankets, Mary, let me know. I'll ask the hotel if they have any to spare."

"I should be going too," said Inez. She rose from her chair, but gave Rain's hand a quick squeeze as she did. "Stop by my place tomorrow morning, and I will have breakfast ready for all of you." One by one, Nettie, Casey, Gloria and Inez draped their various shawls and jackets over their shoulder and left through the door that lead into The Clarion. Mary saw them out to the boardwalk before returning to the parlor.

"You two must be exhausted after your journeys," Mary appraised her guests with a quick up and down look. "I have a small bathtub I keep in Billy's room. Why don't I start collecting water while both of you retrieve your belongings. You can wash up before going to sleep."

"I would be grateful for the opportunity." Li-Pong came forward and laid a gentle hand on Mary's arm. "Mrs. Travis, Ezra has asked me to be his wife. I am not familiar with American weddings. Perhaps you could tell me about your wedding, so I properly prepare for my own?"

Rain gasped. "Oh, yes, please, Mrs. Travis. Nathan has not asked me yet, but I know he will soon. I would enjoy hearing about your wedding." 

Mary felt the sweet sting of sorrow pass through her as visions of her wedding day danced through her mind. She still smiled at her guests and answered, "Of course, I would be happy to tell you all about it. But first let's get your bath ready and I'll send a message to Nathan and Ezra to tell them not to expect you home." The women quickly dispersed and set about their chores.

******************************

*Nathan's Clinic*

Vin stood by the open window of the sickroom where he kept watch over Chris. The others were keeping vigil around the jailhouse just in case the rustlers decided to try and break out their incarcerated comrades. Chris didn't know Vin was there. When he relieved Buck just before midnight, Chris had already fallen asleep. Vin had his Winchester with him. From the vantage point of the sickroom he had a clear shot all the way down the main street. He hated the idea of fighting while Chris lay ill not five feet away from him, but knowing Chris, he'd fling himself into the thick of things the moment the first shot was fired. At least from the clinic, Vin could keep an eye on him.

Midnight had come and gone. The only sounds from town emanated from the saloon. Vin's thoughts drifted as he thought back on his reasons for insisting on being the one stationed at the clinic. It made sense tactically for him to keep to the high ground, but he knew that he really wanted to be alone with Chris for a little while. When he saw the gunfighter was fast asleep, Vin used the time to think about what he would actually say to him when he woke up. He still hadn't worked out what he wanted to say when he got the feeling he was being watched. Vin turned around. Even in darkness of night he could see Chris's bright, green eyes staring at him.

"What are you doin' here?" the gunfighter asked.

Vin shrugged glanced out the window. "Just keepin' watch over things."

"What time is it?" Chris twisted around in bed searching for the clock.

"It's just after two." Vin approached the bed and turned up the lamp a little. It emitted enough light for Vin to examine Chris, but not enough to draw attention from anyone outside. "How do you feel?" Vin asked Chris as he lowered his weapon and leaned it up against the nearest wall. 

Chris shrugged. "Why are you doin' this, Vin?" Chris asked as he tried to sit up. He found he couldn't because the bedsheets had become twisted around his body as he slept.

"Josiah and I talked a little before the procession. He helped me see things in a different light." Vin moved to Chris's bedside so he could try and straighten out the bed sheets that had bunched up around Chris's chest.

"What kind of things?" Chris asked.

Vin looked down, avoiding Chris's eyes, as he yanked and tugged the sheets back into place. "Things like you and me."

Chris tilted his head to the side. "You and me?"

Vin nodded, but continued to address the ground. "I guess I've been so concerned about bein' a good son to people who aren't around anymore, that I forgot to be a good friend to the people who are still here to care. I failed you again, Chris. I'm sorry."

Chris reached out and grabbed Vin's arm, causing Vin to finally look up and into Chris's eyes. "You could never fail me, Vin Tanner. Disappoint me, yes, but never fail me. You're too good a son for that. You're parents would be proud of you. I know that because I'm proud of you and I'd be honored if you still would call me your friend."

Vin started to respond, but before he could say anything a shriek pierced the night, followed by shattering glass. 

*****************************

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 6

*Mary's Home*

Mary shifted slightly as she lay in Billy's bed and glanced at the clock. It was two o'clock in the morning and she should have been fast asleep, but something kept her awake. Rolling over onto her side, Mary couldn't help but think back on the evening and smile to herself. After she had drawn enough bath water and set it over the fire to heat, she started telling Rain and Li-Pong about her wedding. At first, she had felt awkward as she began her story about meeting Stephen and his slow and gentle courtship. As she talked, however, she found herself reliving Stephen's love and her happiness when he finally proposed. The more she talked the better she felt until she found herself laughing hysterically as she related her brides' maids reactions to their dress patterns.

The bath water was ready by the time she got around to talking about the wedding details. As the women got undressed, Rain and Li-Pong started asking questions. Actually, Rain asked many more questions than Li-Pong, who seemed relieved to have someone else do the talking. While they helped each other wash their hair, Mary instructed them on the format of basic Christian weddings. She explained the significance of a white wedding gown, how to word an invitation properly, and the best type of cake to bake for the reception. After bathing they sat in front of the fireplace to brush out their hair and let it dry. Li-Pong shyly asked if she could touch Rain's hair. Rain inclined her head and Li-Pong giggled as she gently pulled on one of the corkscrew curls and watched it bounce right back into place. 

Eventually all three women starting yawning, so they quickly changed into their nightgowns and settled down for the night. Rain and Li-Pong slept in Mary's room, while Mary slept in Billy's. As her eyes started to close again Mary thought of Billy and hoped that he was having a good time at his sleep over at the Potter's house. 

"Got 'er, boss!"

Mary felt a heavy hand close around her face. She couldn't see and could hardly breath as the man looming over her jerked her out of the bed by her upper arm.

"Shit!"

"What is it!"

"Wrong one, boss." Mary felt the man yanking at her hair, almost pulling it out of its roots. "Look at the hair. This is Larabee's woman. We're supposed to grab the chink. Whatta we do now?"

Mary could see out of the corner of her eye the other man pace back and forth. 

"Tie this one up and gag her. The other two must be in the other bedroom. Stupid bitch. Why couldn't you have stayed in your own room, like you were supposed too?!" Mary bit down on the first man's hand and he immediately removed it with a curse. She tried to scream, but her head snapped to the side as the second man smacked her with the back of his hand. She tried to scream again, but the first man brought his hand back to her face and clamped his hand around her mouth even tighter. The second man removed a knife from under his sleeve and held it to her throat.

"You keep quiet or I promise you I'll do more than just slit your throat." Mary nodded her understanding and let the men tie her to the rocking chair she often used to rock Billy to sleep when he was scared. Then they stuffed a dirty bandanna into her mouth and tied it securely. Admiring their handiwork the first man ran his hands over Mary's breasts.

"I wish you had tried to scream," he leered as his hands continued to wander down her body. He would have kept going, but the second man jerked him away. 

"No time for that. We gotta get the other one. Now keep it down!" The two men quietly left the room. The master bedroom was immediately next door. The men opened the door and stalked inside. The moonlight streaming though the window showed two sleeping bodies. The two men nudged each other before the first man circled around to grab the woman closest to the window while the second man moved towards the other woman. The first man saw that his target was the darkie woman, so his job would be to knock her out while his partner grabbed the real target. He slowly moved over his victim so as not to disturb her, but before he could grab her, Rain whipped her knife out from under the covers and sliced open the side of his face.

The first man screeched in pain and brought his hands up to try and stop the blood squirting out all over the place. Rain turned away from him and launched herself across the bed at other attacker. At the same time, Li-Pong squirmed towards Rain's side of the bed, rolled out onto the floor, pushed open the window, and screamed at the top of her lungs. Before she could finish her scream, the first man recovered enough to yank her back from the window and slam it closed. 

He grabbed Li-Pong in a bear hug and started to drag her backwards towards the door, but his leg caught the edge of the bed as he tried to navigate the room in the dark. He fell into Rain, who was feinting and jabbing her knife at the second man. Caught off balance, Rain was pushed into her target, her knife imbedding itself into his side. It wasn't enough to kill him. Enraged, he picked up Rain like she was no more than a rag doll and threw her across the room into the window, shattering it. Li-Pong stared in horror as she watch Rain's body slump to the ground, but there was nothing she could do. 

"Let's move it!" The second man screamed as he clutched his wound. "We're gonna have the entire Larabee gang after us!" Leaving a trail of blood as they dragged Li-Pong downstairs, the men exited the home through the back door.

**********************

*Outside the Jailhouse*

Ezra knew the moment he heard the scream that it was Li-Pong. The desperate terror in her voice shattered his soul. He looked over at Buck, who stood watch at the jailhouse with him. Buck just nodded his head and said "Go! I'll watch things here." 

Ezra ran towards The Clarion, but Nathan and Josiah beat them there, both men having been stationed over by the saloon across the street. Nathan slammed open the front door to The Clarion, but Josiah jerked him back outside at the last second.

"Easy, my friend, we don't know what we're walking into. Let me go first." Both Nathan and Ezra started to object, but Josiah stopped them with a finger to his lips. They needed to keep quiet, so Ezra and Nathan stilled their protests. Josiah reopened the broken door and quietly entered in a crouched position with his weapon drawn and ready. He quickly scanned the dark interior, and finding it empty, motioned for Ezra and Nathan to move up with him. All three men moved forward, keeping their heads low and hiding behind Mary's printing equipment as much as possible.

Ezra and Nathan followed kept towards the shadows along the walls of the room. A loud, repeated banging could be heard from the living quarters in back of The Clarion. The men hesitated for a moment before continuing to creep forward towards that sound. Once in the parlor, they found what they suspected they would find. The back door was wide open and swinging in the wind. Whoever had broken in there had already left in a hurry.

"They got the women." Josiah saw identical looks of cold, hard rage in the eyes of his two partners. He wasn't sure if he should let the two men continue tracking the marauders with him. They were angry and angry men made mistakes, mistakes that could get some innocent people killed. The decision was taken out of his hands when a loud thud from upstairs caused all three men to spin around and point their weapons towards the staircase. 

Again, Josiah pulled Nathan back from charging up the stairs, and using hand signals he insisted on taking the lead. The fires that burned on the main road had given them some light while they maneuvered around the front of The Clarion, but there was virtually no light from the back alley that ran behind the buildings. As he began to climb the stairs, Josiah silently gave thanks that he hadn't seen any of his crows lately, because he was walking into this situation practically blind. 

At the top of the stairs, Josiah stopped. There was no one in the short hallway, so he moved forward and let Nathan and Ezra follow the rest of the way. There were two rooms directly in front of the stairway, but on opposite sides of the hallway. Josiah surmised they were Mary's and Billy's bedrooms. At the far end of the hallway was another door, which was more than likely a closet or sewing room. 

A second, quieter thud sounded from the room on the left. Josiah immediately moved to the door with his back up against wall. Nathan moved up alongside Josiah and Ezra smoothly took up the same position on the other side. Slowly Josiah turned the doorknob, and with a quick glance at Ezra, who nodded his head in readiness, opened the door. Nothing happened. Not hearing any gunshots or other sounds, Josiah slowly brought his head around the corner to take a peek inside. 

Mary lay there tied to her rocking chair, which she had tipped over. Immediately Josiah, Ezra, Nathan were at her side. Nathan removed one of his knives and began cutting the ropes while Josiah worked at loosening her gag. Ezra cradled Mary's head while Josiah worked. One eye was swollen shut, but her other good eye was wide and desperate as she stared directly into Ezra's soul. Finally the gag came loose.

"Pong!" Mary barely spat out the word because could barely talk from the dryness of the gag. She licked her lips. "They're after Li-Pong! She was sleeping in my room with Rain across the hall."

"All right, Mary. You just take it easy. Don't leave this room. We'll check out the room next door."Josiah motioned for the other two men to follow him. Mary scurried behind the bed, just in case. 

Surprisingly, Ezra remained calm. He followed Josiah as if this were just another job to him, but in reality Ezra was floating in a realm of disbelief. The world around him came into sharp focus. The colors were brighter, the sounds louder, and the pain in his heart sharpened with every beat. He knew his love was not behind the other door, but he still had a job to do. To run out now would not bring Li-Pong back to him. He needed these men by his side to accomplish that feat and was not going to jeopardize that with foolish heroics. He could only hope that he would be in time to rescue Li-Pong before her kidnappers harmed her. Until then, they still had one more woman that they needed to find.

The three men took up the same positions that they had before next to the second door. Again Josiah slowly turned the knob, and finding no gunfire erupting from the room, he peeked his head inside.

"Oh, dear Lord!" At that, Nathan burst past him and into the room. He had seen what the bastards had done to Mary's face, but that hadn't prepared him for the sight before him. Lying in a heap on the floor, Rain's blood soaked body looked beaten and broken. She still clutched her knife in her hand.

********************************

*Nathan's Clinic - One hour later*

"You ain't goin'!" Vin declared.

"Shush, you'll wake Mary." Chris stole a glance at the pretty blond widow as she slept in the bed occupying the room adjacent to Nathan's clinic. Josiah examined her because Nathan was occupied trying to save Rain's life. Mary had a black left eye and, Josiah suspected, a fractured cheekbone. Nathan would have to look at it to be certain. Josiah gave her some laudanum for the pain and put her to bed, assuring her that one of the men would talk to Mrs. Potter and have her keep Billy for a few days.

Chris had rolled out of bed the moment Nathan slammed through the doors to his clinic carrying Rain. Chris immediately grabbed his clothes and gear and headed into next room, giving Nathan the space he needed to work. When Josiah brought Mary into the same room, the cold, calm rage that had been Chris's constant companion for three years returned. As soon as Mary dropped off to sleep, Chris began getting dressed, slipping his black jeans over his long johns. That's when Vin entered the room and saw what Chris was doing.

Chris turned his attention back to Vin. "I'm goin'." 

Vin grabbed Chris's arm and dragged him out the door. "You don't even have the strength to fight me. A month ago, I wouldn't have been able to get you to budge, much less get you out that door!" He raised his voice now that they were outside on the walkway leading to the stairs.

"Doesn't matter. I should've been there to protect her. I should've seen this coming!" Chris struggled to get his arms into his shirt.

"Don't start with me, cowboy. You can't be everywhere at once, and you know it. Yeah, you should have seen it comin'. We *all* should have seen it comin', but we didn't. We failed to see beyond the ends of our noses and now the women are payin' for it." 

"You need me." Chris insisted as he started buttoning up his shirt.

Vin placed his hand on Chris's arm. Chris looked up to meet Vin's eyes. "Yeah, I need you. I need you *here*. I need you to watch the jail in case someone tries somethin'. I need you to hold Mary's hand when she wakes up in the mornin.' I need you to be here for Nathan, in case Rain don't make it and he starts to fall apart. And. . .and I just plain need you, cowboy. I need you as a father, an older brother, a friend."

Chris didn't say anything, he just stared into Vin's eyes, so Vin continued.

"In two hours the sun's goin' to rise. I have to track down these bastards, take 'em out, and rescue Li-Pong. I can't do that if I'm constantly lookin' over my shoulder to make sure you haven't fallen out of the saddle. I meant what I said. I need you, pard, and I'm not goin' to lose you to foolish pride. . .yours or mine."

Chris didn't know what to say. Vin was giving him a second chance, but he'd have to bow out of this fight, and he didn't know if he could do that. He closed his eyes for moment and thought of Mary. He hadn't been there for her last night, but he could be there for her this morning. He'd almost lost her when he wasn't even sure if he had her in the first place. 

Chris opened his eyes and nodded at Vin. He would stay here. Vin clapped him on the shoulder and walked towards the stairway. Chris watched him until he was out of sight. Then Chris took a deep breath of the chilly, pre-dawn air and felt the knot in his stomach slowly unwind.

*****************************

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 7

*Above The Rustler's Camp*

Vin looked through his spy glass at the rustler's camp below the foothill where he and the others were perched. He had a funny feeling in his stomach. The rustler's hadn't tried to fortify their camp in a box canyon or hide it in a river valley. The camp was sitting plain as day and they had been easy to track. Too easy. 

"I don't like this." J.D. remarked quietly.

"Neither do I." Vin agreed as he closed up his spyglass and slid down the incline with J.D. following him. Buck, Ezra, and Josiah met them at the bottom.

"Whattya think?" Buck asked.

"Ezra's right. Not only have they been watchin' us in town, but they've studied our tactics. They ain't tryin' to hide because they know we're comin' for them. My guess is that they've got traps set up around the perimeter of the camp to catch us if we try to sneak in."

"Were you able to ascertain the location of my fiancee?" Ezra asked impatiently.

"I didn't see her, but there's a dozen or so tents set up around the camp. My guess is they have her in one of them. Either that or she's not here at all and they have her secured somewhere else." Vin looked at Ezra sympathetically. 

"We goin' to have to figure out where she is before we can rescue her." Buck remarked.

"How are we goin' to do that?" J.D. asked.

"I say we grab one them when they stray into the woods to take care of business and try a little friendly 'persuasion'." Buck gave quick wink to J.D. letting him know that they would be the ones to do the grabbing and 'persuading'.

"Can't do that, Buck." Vin interrupted. "This guy Ezra told us about. He must have been in the army or somethin' because he's thinkin' like a leader. He's studied us and knows that is exactly something we would try doin'. If Li-Pong is not in that camp, chances are he's the only one who does know where she is and he ain't stupid enough stray far enough from base to let us grab him."

The men fell quiet as Vin contemplated their quandary. They were all good gunfighters, but Chris was the master at tactics. Vin and the others had learned a lot from watching how his mind worked, but none of them wanted to be a tactician. Vin had no problems leading a charge into a prison camp to break out one of their own or tracking down a grief stricken Indian. But how can he out strategize a strategist? Especially when an innocent life was at stake?

"Gentlemen, if I may interrupt your contemplation for a moment, I believe I have an idea that will allow us to affect my love's emancipation." Ezra had everyone's attention. "The leader of these men have studied us as a group. He knows the tactics of 'The Magnificent Seven', a group of gunfighters who protect the town of Four Corners. However, if we were to approach this situation in a way that 'The Magnificent Seven' would not, we may be able break through their defenses and affect a rescue."

"You plannin' on wearin' that purple dress again, Ezra?" Buck joked with a light laugh.

"If I thought it would remove Li-Pong from the clutches of those bastards, I would wear a red muslin dress with a feather boa." Ezra threw Buck a cold, hard, vicious look that wiped the grin off Buck's face. Ezra was tired of waiting, tired of being cautious, and not in the mood for levity. He wanted Li-Pong out of there and if it meant jerking control of the group out of Vin Tanner's hands, he would do it.

Buck looked contrite. "Sorry, Ezra. Didn't mean anything by that."

"What have you got in mind, Ezra." Vin asked. 

Ezra told him.

J.D. let out with a low whistle. "I don't like it, Ezra. Chris would never approve of it."

"Mr. Larabee is not here to approve or disapprove of anything." Ezra casually tossed out and looked over at Vin.

"You'll be puttin' Josiah in a tough position." Buck countered.

"Do you have a problem with what I'm proposing, Mr. Sanchez?" Ezra looked at Josiah, daring him to object. 

Josiah shook his head. "I'll do it. I've got enough black marks on my head as it is. I suppose one more won't matter one way or the other."

Ezra looked relieved. "Do you have anything that you want to add, Mr. Tanner?"

Vin shook his head slowly. "Sun sets early this time of year. If we're going to do this, it's goin' to have to be now." Vin looked over at J.D. to see a look of shock in the young man's eyes.

***********************************

*In the Rustler's Camp*

Roscoe Jackson sat in the middle of the rustler's camp sipping his coffee. Things hadn't gone exactly as planned since he started this little charade to get back his men, but he managed to adapt to the changes and take advantage of each new piece of information that filtered out of town. A man of nondescript looks and average height and weight, he managed to move around town and sit quietly in the saloon without being noticed. He could listen in on people's conversations, ask a few innocent questions, and sit down later to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. He managed to get a rather thorough picture of the so-called "Magnificent Seven" and plan his rescue operation accordingly. 

He had always been a good listener. Growing up on Old Edward Jackson's cotton plantation as the bastard child of an Irish chambermaid taught him that children were to been seen as little as possible and never heard. So he spent his days listening. He listened to the other chambermaid's gossip while they went about their chores. He listened to the foreman talk behind the barn when he would wander in there in the evenings. He listened to Old Edward Jackson himself when he gave lessons to that new kid, Ezra, when he came to live at the plantation. He listened to the sounds his mother made in her bedroom when Old Edward Jackson came to visit her. One evening, just before Mr. Jackson left their cramped quarters in the servants' wing, he overheard his mother ask Mr. Jackson a question.

"Why can't you just spend a wee bit o' time with him. He needs a father as much as that Ezra boy."

"A gentleman never acknowledges his bastards. Ezra is the legitiment son of a New Orleans plantation owner. His mother is a lady of considerable wealth. They make a fine addition to the Jackson family. Your child will never amount to more than his station and is no son of mine." Mr. Jackson adjusted his cravat and walked away, never seeing Roscoe standing in a darkened corner of the hallway.

Roscoe hated Old Man Jackson. He hated Ezra, too, but not as much as the old man. He wanted to hurt both of them, but couldn't put his mother in jeopardy, so he kept hatred in check and waited, biding his time. As he got older he talked his way into the roll of assistant foreman and spent his days lording over the slaves in his care. At least being white gave him some privileges.

After his mother died, he knew it was time. He waited until a night when Ezra and his mother were out of the house. He wanted them to have to live with the destruction of their precious belongings. Belongings that should have been his. He lit a torch, set fire to the plantation house, and watched as it burned to the ground. He watched, and he listened. He listened as Old Man Jackson ran out of his bedroom, desperately trying to put out the fire, he listened as fire caught up with the old man and he screamed for someone to help him. He listened as the old man begged for help that would never come, not from his slaves, not from his servants, and not from his only child. 

The sound of Old Man Jackson begging was sweet to Roscoe's ears. Unfortunately the fire coincided with the start of the Yankee invasion of Atlanta, so all the citizenry, including the widow Jackson and her son Ezra, believed that it was the Union Army that burned down the plantation. Roscoe thought of a few ways he could torment the new widow and her son, so he started investigating their pasts. When he discovered that Maude was little more than a con, and her son was quickly following in her footsteps, he let the matter drop. Edward Jackson meant nothing to them and neither did the plantation now that it was gone. Most of Roscoe's bitterness died with the fire, and he had better prospects to pursue now that he was free from his past.

"Hello, the camp!"

Roscoe swallowed a mouthful of coffee to see his men circle around a buckboard approaching the camp from the southeast. Roscoe grinned. So the first of the Magnificent Seven arrived to act as a decoy, just as he knew they would. He had deliberately kept the northwest perimeter lightly guarded to encourage the rest of the peacekeepers to attack from that position where they would fall into his trap. They always took the high ground and fired from cover with the sun to their backs. He studied the driver of the buckboard. It was the preacher, which would mean he'd be using a beat-up rifle and firing from his left arm. That would be Roscoe's target then; damage the preacher's left arm, and he would be no use in a firefight. 

Josiah brought the buckboard to a halt and jumped down from the seat. He wasn't armed and he kept his hands up in the air where Roscoe could see them. Seven of Roscoe's men surrounded him and one quickly padded him down, just in case.

"I'm here to negotiate for the release of Li-Pong," the preacher announced.

Roscoe came forward. Josiah acknowledged him with a nod.

"Are you the leader?" Josiah inquired.

"That's right. And if you want the Chinese bitch back, you will have my men released from jail and brought here by sundown." Roscoe knew he would never go for it, but that was rather a moot point. The only way his men were going to get out of jail was for him to kill the Seven, invade the town, and break them out himself. With Larabee still recovering from a gunshot to the stomach and the darkie healer more than likely taking care of his own bitch, killing the remaining five should present no problems. The other two would be easy pickings once he got back to town.

"Where is she? I want to make sure she's still alive before I release your men." Josiah countered.

Roscoe snorted. "You mean you want to see which tent she's in. Sorry, but my men prefer they're privacy while their *entertaining* women like her." 

Josiah tried very hard to keep his features calm and collected. "It seems we're at an impasse then."

"Not really. I know where your men are, and I'm going to kill them. Then I'm going to kill you." Roscoe confidently turned his back on Josiah and headed back to the coffee pot sitting on a hot rock at the edge of the campfire. He knew at that moment that ten of his men were headed to the top of that northwest foothill where they would capture and kill four members of Larabee's gang. 

He never once considered that he had underestimated the cunning of his adversaries. He never heard the click of the derringer that popped out of Josiah's right hand sleeve, but he did hear the gunfire and he certainly felt the bullet as it entered his back and struck his left shoulder plate. Before Roscoe could finish another thought, he was face down in the dirt. He wasn't dead, but he could only listen to sounds of the battle that began to rage around him. The loudest sound he heard was an explosion that lit up the top of the northwest foothill and the screams of his men who died there.

What he couldn't see while face down in the dirt was Josiah grab the nearest man and use him as a shield while he dragged him back behind the buckboard where he grabbed his rifle strapped underneath. He couldn't see J.D. and Ezra drop from the slings they attached to the bottom of buckboard where they had been hiding and begin firing at anyone who moved. He couldn't see Buck charge into the battle from the southeast perimeter when the few men stationed there abandoned their posts to see what was happening in the camp. He couldn't see Vin, the only man left alive on top of the northwest foothill, begin picking off Roscoe's men as they scurried around the camp trying to figure out what had gone wrong. 

Roscoe remained tense and still until the sounds of battle died down. He could hear the few wounded men left moaning in pain and cursing his name. Then he felt himself roughly turned over onto his back and found himself staring into the steely green eyes of Ezra Jackson.

"Where is she!?" Ezra demanded.

"Go to hell," Roscoe spat back.

Ezra dug his fingers into Roscoe's wound.

"AHHHHHHH! All right, you want the whore that badly, she's in the back far left tent next to the where the horses are tethered." Ezra dropped Roscoe and ran back to the tent. He ripped open the front and stepped inside. It was dark, but not dark enough to hide Li-Pong lying in the middle of the tent. Her arms were tied over her head and what was left of the lower half of her nightgown was covered in blood. Ezra's heart broke at the sight of her. Gently he approached her and noticed that her eyes were open. He patted her cheek and called her name, but she did not respond. He checked for a pulse, which he found and she was still breathing, but she did not acknowledge his presence.

"Don't you worry, my dear." Ezra told the catatonic girl. "I will take care of everything. No one is going to hurt you again." Ezra removed a knife from his pocket and cut the ropes that bound Li-Pong's arms. Then he gingerly brought her legs together and making sure she was decently covered, he placed his left arm under her knees. Cradling her head with his right arm, he picked her up off the floor and carried her outside.

****************************

See part 1 for disclaimers

Part 8

*Nathan's Clinic*

"Good thing you boys brought the buckboard with you," Chris commented to Ezra as they stood outside Nathan's clinic waiting to hear about Li-Pong.

"Yes," Ezra agreed. "And good thing Buck procured some dynamite to transport in his saddlebags." Chris smiled wanly. When his team returned with a prisoner who had a gunshot wound to the back, he immediately demanded from Vin a blow by blow accounting of what happened. Vin told him everything. Chris gritted his teeth. The first thing he had tried to impress on J.D. is that you do *not* shoot a man in the back. But Chris had also seen Li-Pong when Ezra carried her to Nathan's clinic, and he couldn't bring himself to find fault with the plan. He wasn't there, and it was Vin's call to make. He had to respect that.

Mary had gone back home as soon as Ezra brought in Li-Pong. Rain had survived her ordeal, but her back was all cut up from the glass, and she had a severe concussion. She couldn't be moved from the bed used in Nathan's room, so Chris insisted on escorting Mary to her quarters while Nathan examined Li-Pong in the second room.

After getting Mary settled, he went to the jail where Buck and J.D. took care of the incarcerated prisoner. Buck removed the bullet in the prisoner's back and cauterized the wound. Roscoe Jackson, as he claimed was his name, screamed and cursed at them all the way through the procedure. J.D. laughed about Buck's lack of a decent bedside manner, but Buck just dug the heated knife a little deeper into the wound and yelled back that he had a wonderful bedside manner. . .just ask any of the ladies in town.

Chris left the prisoner to the duo's tender mercies. He went back to the clinic to wait for word on Li-Pong. Vin had gone to find the judge and report to him about the shootout. He also wanted to make sure that the judge stayed with Mary for a few nights, just in case there were complications from her injuries or if she had nightmares. Ezra had been waiting outside on the balcony, intently shuffling a deck of cards. There was nothing to do but sit and wait. Finally, an exhausted Nathan emerged from inside.

"Well? How is she?" Ezra asked without preamble or fancy words.

Nathan sighed. "I'm sorry, Ezra. She lost the baby. It looks like she took a blow to the abdomen. The baby didn't stand a chance."

Ezra nodded. He had suspected that much. It still hurt, but he was not surprised. "Was she . . . violated?" Ezra held his breath. 

Nathan shook his head in frustration. "I really don't know, Ezra."

"Dammit, Nathan, you have to have to know! Just tell me the truth!" Ezra practically screamed.

Chris placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder to try and calm him down.

"I don't know, Ezra!" Nathan yelled back, the frustration finally taking its toll on him too. "There's a lot of damage done down there from when the baby was expelled! I can't say for certain that they hurt her beyond kicking her in the stomach!"

Chris finally thrust himself between the two protagonists and managed to throw one of his famous bone-chilling glares at both of them.

"Quiet! Both of you. There are two patients beyond these walls who need their rest and they aren't goin' to get it with you two makin' a ruckus out here." Both Ezra and Nathan stepped back from each other, breathing heavily from the emotion of the moment.

"I'm sorry, Ezra." Nathan apologized first. "I really *don't* know. This type of exam isn't something you can learn in an army field hospital. I'm not a doctor, as much as I try to be. You have to understand that."

"I'm sorry I yelled." Ezra said quietly, looking at the ground, but then glanced back up at Nathan. "May I see her?"

"Of course," Nathan opened the door to let Ezra through. He closed the door behind him so he could talk to Chris in private. "Stay with him, Chris. He's goin' to need someone to help him deal with this, and he respects you the most out of all of us." Chris raised his eyebrows at that, but didn't say anything. "Now I'm goin' to see if Buck will let me sleep at his place for a while. Rain shouldn't wake up until mornin', but I would appreciate it if you kept an eye on her while you were here."

"Sure thing, Nathan. You go get some rest. And don't worry about patrolling for the rest of the week. We'll cover for you." Chris watch as Nathan walked down the stairs and head over to the jail. Then he quietly opened the door and went into the clinic where Ezra sat next to the bed where Li-Pong lay quietly. Ezra's back was to the door, but Chris could still see that he was gently stroking Li-Pong's arm.

"Hey, Ezra. I'm goin' to sit with Rain for awhile. Are you goin' to be okay here?" Chris asked as he came up from behind Ezra. Ezra didn't respond right away, so Chris gently placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. Ezra still didn't respond, but instead he reached over his shoulder and grasped Chris's hand. Chris wasn't sure what was happening, so he just held Ezra's hand a little tighter. He could feel Ezra trembling.

"I really wanted that child," Ezra said in a voice just above a whisper. "I didn't realize just how much until I saw her in that tent. . ." Ezra broke off with a small sob. Chris just held on, but Ezra quickly got himself back under control. He let go of Chris's hand, but Chris kept his hand on Ezra's shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Ezra. It's goin' to hurt for a long while, but it *will* get better. I promise."

"Thank you, Chris. I appreciate the concern." Ezra finally turned to look up at Chris. His eyes conveyed more than his words. Chris squeezed Ezra's shoulder once before walking into the adjacent room to sit with Rain. 

***************************

*Two weeks later*

Time in Four Corners passed quickly. Judge Travis held a jury trial for the cattle rustlers. After two days of testimony, all were found to be guilty as charged and hanged. Chris tried to get information out of Roscoe Jackson about what really happened to Li-Pong, but the man kept insisting that she "did" every man in his camp quite enthusiastically. He was a dead man anyway, so there was no reason for him to tell Chris the truth, no matter how much "persuading" Chris used. 

Chris convinced Nathan and Ezra to stay away from the trial. They had more important things with which to concern themselves. They did attend the hangings, however, so at least they could see justice done. 

At the end of the first week, Nathan finally let Rain out of bed. Mary's bruises had started to heal and fade. Billy was back home with her, but she decided to turn the sewing room into a small guest room and let Rain stay there until she was well enough to travel back to the Seminole village. Li-Pong's condition remained the same. Her eyes were open, but vacant. Most of the time Nathan had her eyes bound shut so they wouldn't dry out, but when Ezra was there, he insisted that the bindings be removed.

"I have something for you, my dear." Ezra said to Li-Pong one day as he came to sit by her bedside. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. Gently he picked up her lax hand and slipped the ring onto her fourth finger. "I had been saving this for the future Mrs. Standish. I know you're not up to having a wedding right now, but I know that at some time in the future we will be together. When you do come around, I want this to be the first thing you see, so that you know how much I love you."

After two weeks had passed it became increasingly obvious that Li-Pong was not going to get better any time soon. All the men, Mary, Gloria Potter and even Nettie and Casey Wells would come by and spend time sitting with her, and Inez donated home cooked meals from her saloon. Eventually, Nathan had to move her into the second room so that he could see his regular patients again. 

At the beginning of the third week, Ezra asked everyone involved with caring for Li-Pong to meet him in Inez's saloon. It was fairly early in the morning, so there were no other patrons around. 

"First, I would like to thank all of you for gathering here at this ungodly hour of the morning." Everyone politely laughed at Ezra's attempt at levity. "I would also like to thank all of you for the time you have spent with Li-Pong. It means a great deal to me to know that you have taken her into your hearts." Ezra's voice cracked a little with emotion, so he paused to try and get his voice back under control. "Unfortunately she. . .we . . .cannot stay here in Four Corners."

This shocked everyone and they all started to ask Ezra why. "Now, I understand how you feel," Ezra said raising his right hand to quiet everyone. "It took me a long time to try and fit in here, but I've come to think of this quaint little town as my home. Circumstances, unfortunately, dictate that I find a more appropriate place to care for her."

"What circumstances?" Chris asked in that quiet but deadly tone of voice. 

"For one thing, the owner of the boarding house has told Nathan that if he continues to use the room adjoining his own, he will have to start paying rent for it. The population of Four Corners is increasing and rooms are in demand. As you all know, Nathan is . . . a good, kind hearted soul." Ezra glanced at Nathan, who smiled slightly as he tightened his hold around Rain's waist. "He would never turn away anyone who would ask him for help, even if that person couldn't pay him for his services. He often takes goods for barter instead and uses the money he's paid for by the town to supplement his income. This is not enough to pay for a second room.

"For a second thing, caring for Li-Pong is a twenty-four hour a day job. Now all of us have taken turns sitting with her, but your lives should not include the continued burden of caring for someone in her physical state. . ."

"She's not a burden, Ezra." Buck interrupted. "Not to us. Not to those of us who care about her and about you."

Ezra stared at Buck with a mixture of great joy and great sorrow on his face. "Unfortunately, Buck, we don't all have the same skill when it comes to feeding her or changing her clothing and other assorted chores that need to be done to keep her healthy. So I've been sending out wires to various cities across the country looking for a facility that could care for her properly. When I find such a facility, I will travel with her to that destination, and I will remain there until she becomes well again."

"You're goin' to put her in a hospital!" J.D. practically spat out the words.

Ezra turned slightly to face the suddenly hostile young man. "That's right, J.D., a hospital. They will be doctors and nurses to watch over her all day and all night. . .

"Oh, sure they will, if they feel like it!" J.D. stood up came face to face with Ezra. "You can't put her in a hospital, Ezra. There's a lot of things in this world that I don't know about, but I *do* know about hospitals. My mother spent the last year of her life in and out of hospitals. It was awful. . .the things that happened to her when I couldn't be there to watch out for her. . ." J.D. stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "Ezra, if you don't trust another word that comes out of my mouth, than please just trust this - you do not want to take Li-Pong to a hospital. I don't care how much money you have. Just don't do it. Keep her here. I'll quit my job as sheriff to help take care of her, just keep her here!"

Ezra placed his hands on the shoulders of a very distraught J.D. to placate him, but J.D. pushed away from Ezra and ran out of the saloon. From the window everyone in the saloon could see him dash over to the boarding house and bound up to the second floor taking two stairs at a time.

"What was that all about?" Mary asked no one in particular.

"I better go check up on him." Buck started to rise, but Nettie Wells pushed him back down. 

"He'll be okay. Casey's up there now sitting with Li-Pong. She'll take care of him."

Buck shrugged. He wasn't convinced that Casey could take care of J.D. without drivin' the poor kid crazy first, but he left it alone. Nathan in the meantime had approached Ezra.

"Ezra, I don't know what's gotten the kid so riled up about hospitals, but all I can tell you is that there are good ones and bad ones, just like everything else out there." 

"I'm aware of that Mr. Jackson, but that's why I've sent out those wires. I have a few contacts here and there that could advise me on such matters." Ezra replied.

"But you'd still be goin' away, breakin' up the team." Vin spoke for the first time that morning.

"That's correct, Mr. Tanner. I certainly do not intend to leave that poor girl in some big city hospital all by herself." Ezra thought it odd that Vin cared about whether or not Ezra stayed. They had never really been friends, and Vin hadn't taken kindly to Ezra's drunken behavior when Vin asked Ezra write down a poem for him. Still, of all the men, Vin was least likely to hold a grudge for long.

"Wait a minute!" Buck suddenly jumped up out of his seat. "Ezra, stay here. I gotta idea that can solve everyone's problems! Inez! Get everyone here a drink. Put it on my tab!"

"This early in the morning?" Inez looked dumbfounded, but Buck ignored her and ran out the door.

Everyone in the saloon started whispering to each other about Buck's outburst, and Inez started handing out glasses of water. She'd be damned if she was going to have drunks in her saloon at nine o'clock in the morning. About ten minutes later, Buck returned, dragging a very disheveled looking working girl behind him.

"Ezra! Here's the woman to solve all of your problems!" Buck practically shoved Blossom into Ezra's face. 

"Buck!" Blossom spun around to face him. "What the devil is all this about. You drag me out of bed, practically shoving me out the door half undressed. . ."

"You don't understand, Blossom. Ezra here needs you and your skills."

Blossom gave Ezra, who with everyone else in the saloon had his mouth wide open, a quick up and down look. "I don't know, Buck. From what I hear, this guy doesn't need any help in that department." 

At this point, Ezra regained his voice. "Buck, is this some sort of joke?" Ezra quickly looked at Blossom. "No offense, ma'am." 

"None taken." Blossom replied still looking at Buck for an explanation.

"No, no, no. He needs your nursing skills." Buck stepped back so he could address the entire room. "You see, folks, Blossom here is a nurse. That's what she did before she moved to Four Corners with her husband. She could take care of Li-Pong, and Ezra can stay here with us! It's perfect!"

"Is this true?" Nathan asked Blossom directly.

"Well, yes." Blossom ran her fingers through her disheveled hair. "I was a nurse for several years before I moved here. I only do. . .what I do now because my husband is in jail, and no one else would hire me."

"So whattya say, Ezra? You can rent out that boarding house room and Blossom here can stay with her and take care of her." Buck looked at Ezra expectantly.

"Now just a second, Buck." Blossom interrupted. "I admit I like the idea of being a nurse again, but my current. . .occupation pays me quite a bit more than I think Mr. Standish can afford. I have to eat too. Not to mention my clothes. I can't exactly work in what I've been wearing for the past few years, and a new wardrobe would be very expensive."

"I'll take care of your food." Inez chimed in from the back. "It would not be a problem."

"Mrs. Wells and I can alter your clothes to make them more appropriate," Gloria Potter offered, with a nod from Nettie Wells.

"I can work out a schedule so that one of us would watch her one day a week while you take care of your personal chores," Mary added.

"I'll arrange for part of Ezra's daily salary to go directly to the boarding house to pay for the rent." Judge Travis glanced at Mary, who smiled warmly at her father-in-law. Judge Travis looked directly at Ezra. "I know you had a rough start here, son, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that we'd hate to lose you."

Ezra's throat constricted tightly and he wasn't sure if he could speak. He quickly looked over at Chris Larabee.

"It's up to you, Ezra. I'd hate to lose you, but I know what it's like to have to support two other people. It won't be easy. You managed to support yourself quite easily with your winnings at the poker table, but with two other people depending on you, you can't afford to lose."

Ezra found his voice. "I won't lose." He turned to Blossom. "If you're willing to give up your current profession, I'm willing to hire you, Blossom."

"Belinda. My real name is Belinda. You have a deal, Mr. Standish." The two shook hands and many people in the room gave a short cheer. In the middle of the commotion, Ezra reached out to Nathan. 

"Thank you, my friend, for all your help."

"Think nothing of it. . .my friend." Nathan replied with a smile.

The End


End file.
